The Irish standard., 1887-07-09
Faribault.
Special Correspondence of the Irish Standard.

Faribault.
Special Correspondence of the Irish Standard.
The commencement exercises at Beth.
lehem Academy, this city. took place
last week, but little too late to be re.
ported for your last issue. The exer-
cises opened at 10 a. m. Long before
that hour the spacious hall of the acad-
emy was thronged with the relatives
and friends of tie young ladies, many of
them having come long distances for the
occasion. The hall itself was beauti-
fully decorated. Along the walls, amid
festoons of rare flowers whose delicate
odors lent uew fragrance to the balmy
air of the morning. hung paintings
from the art studio, while gracefully
looped and twined in and around all
were fine laces, light and airy gossamer,
the work, [ was delighted to learn of
deft fingers trained at bethlehem"
The programme of exercises was adj
mirably rendered throughout. The
young ladies whose part in it entitle
them to special mention are the Misses
Conlon, Payant, Hickey, Lynch, Rem
dahl. Crawford, Burns, Gilmore, Voltz.
Jogerst, Harris, Broderick, Delaney,
O'Gorman and Hamm. I should say
that the essay on appearances" by
Miss Harris, and Miss Conlon's va]edic-
tory, as also Miss Payant's rendition OF
Liezt's rhapsodie IA on the piano, and
the vocal duet by Misses Rendahl and
Burns were deserving of especial COM
mendation.
The gold medal donated by Rt. Rev.
Bishop ireland as a premium for the
highest class in Christian Doctrine was
awarded to Miss Marie Herman; the
gold medal for literature. to Miss s.
Conlon. The Misses Healy, McDer-
mott and Payant were decorated with
gold crosses fer proficiency respectively
in oil painting, crayon work and instru-
mental music.
The annual address to the pupils and
alumnal was delivered this year by Rev.
John Stanley, of the Cathedral, st.
Paul. To most of those present Father
Stanley was new speaker. When he
arose every breath was bated, for all
knew that words from him were words
worth treasuring up. He did not con-
fine himself to her efforts at the present
day. He reviewed briefly, but with the
of the ripe scholar that he
is. the great labors expanded in former
ages upon the education of the masses,
and pointed out how largely, indeed
oftentimes how entirely this work had
been done by the Church. He traced
out particularly the part borne in this
work of centuries by the Dominican
Order, of which the Sisters at Bethle-
hem Academy are members. One fact
not often spoken of, and which the Rev.
speaker mentioned, I hold to be deserv-
ing of special note. When, one hundred
years ago and odd, a constitution was to
be drawn up for our American colonies,
no more consummat model could be
found upon which to frame it than the
rule of the Order of st. Dominick. Our
constitution is to-day the envy Of other
peoples. and the pride of the lover Of
popular liberty the world over. Yet it
is but the adoption to modern needs and
circumstances of the rule drawn up for
his order by St. Dominick, a Catholic
priest of Old Castillo, who was born in
the year 1170: That year falls we'll
within the period which some historians,
unworthy of the name, have called the
Dark Ages. Judge for yourselves how
dark they were when one among their
many works for the betterment Of hui
manity has been found worthy to serve
as the prototype Of the constitution of
the United States. He closed with
words of warm commendation of the work
of the young ladies and their admirable
school. And if justice must ever mete
to merit Its need of praise, in the opin-
ion Of all present he did but Justice to
both school and scholars.
Besides Father Shanley. there were
present Fathers Danehy, Donovan and
Van Lieut. q this cit Tracy and
O'Reilly g llinneep polls O'sulliiyan, IS